L4W:Adventure:A Paladin In Need
A Paladin In Need Summary The city-state of Theotocopolis stands on the brink of civil war. The records which might identify the rightful heir and avert war are believed to be in the possession of a mysterious mage who lives in a crypt on the remote island of Garnaman. Participants DM: Someone Judge: TBD The PCs * Porphyria (Covaithe) Human sorcerer 5 * Joy (Pathfinderq1) Human hybrid bard/ardent 4 * Brenwar (Rapida) Human paladin 6 * Halleck (Tenchuu) Half-elf warlord/bard 5 Synopsis The city-state of Theotocopolis stands on the brink of civil war after a tragic accident at sea wiped out the royal family, who had ruled for three centuries, leaving the kingdom without a clear heir to the throne. The official records, which might have identified the best claimant to the throne, were destroyed in a fire 150 years ago. Now, two amateur historians have stumbled across evidence that the court mage who disappeared at the time of the fire may still be around. On a remote island in the kingdom, named Garnaman, is a large crypt. Every ten years a cloaked figure emerges from the mausoleum and comes to a nearby village with a list: historical records, artifacts of ages past, and other things of lore, and pays handsomely for the items of the last list. He then disappears back into the crypt, and is not seen for another ten years. The historians believe that this person is the missing court mage, and hope that his obsession with history may have led him to steal the missing genealogical records, which, if recovered, could avert war. Of course, if it is the same mage, then he must have extended his lifespan by unnatural means. And, he lives in a tomb. Not to mention, there are other parties in Theotocopolis who stand to lose their chance at the throne if a legitimate heir is discovered, such as the Seagull clan. Under the circumstances, the historians decide to hire some adventurers to accompany them before seeking the mage out. To sweeten the deal, they have persuaded a local library to offer a reward for any other valuable historical documents found there. The party travels to Garnaman without incident on the Porpoise, a sturdy merchant ship. There they meet Soni, the village elder, who welcomes them as guests. NPCs * Domenicos and Thogorius: The amateur historians who discovered the link between the court mage and the mysterious crypt dweller. They are the party's employers. DM: "They are two humans of middle age and poor physical shape, since their obvious work as clerks doesn’t leave them too many opportunities for exercise." * Soni, the elder of the village of Garnaman. :: “I’ve called him elder” explains the captain while you walk, followed by a cohort or curious children “but saying ‘provider’ would be more correct. They have a contest every year – whoever organizes the biggest banquet is the next years’ elder. He doesn’t have real authority, but his word is respected. I hope Soni is still the elder… ah, here’s him.” Soni turns to be a 20-some year old man, very tanned and slim. He, like the rest of the village (all human for what you can see) have a slight brutish look that hints of orc ancestry and a big smile full of shining teeth. * The Seagull clan: :: "those are relatively newcomers to Theotocopolis, mainly descendants of mercenaries that helped the city a generation ago, so they perfectly know they have not a drop of royal blood." They kidnapped Thogorius briefly, but he was rescued by other adventurers. Locations * Garnaman: a remote island in the kingdom of Theotocopolis. DM: "The island doesn’t have a proper pier, only a bay naturally protected from the worst of the weather by a peninsula. A couple rocky and rugged tall hills are the island highest points; it shouldn’t take more than a day to cross it on foot. As the boat approaches the shore, Garnaman’s biggest -and only- town magnifies before you: a village of stone houses, painted so white they shine, built just a few paces from the sandy shore littered with fishing boats. The unprotected windows, and the fact that everyone seems to be doing their daily activities in the streets speak of hot summers and temperate winters." * Theotocopolis: a city/state kingdom. “We come from a city state called Theotocopolis. We have to admit it’s not a very powerful or influential kingdom, and many of you won’t have heard of it, but well, you can’t change the place where you’re born. Theotocopolis has been ruled by the same royal family for nearly 300 years, but alas, recently all or it died in a tragic accident at sea.” Quests * "We believe there’s a really good chance that those records, the records that can avoid a civil war, were stolen and are kept in the crypt. We only have to go there and get them” * "we convinced an important local library to fund an expedition and offer a significant reward for other valuable historical documents you could bring here.” Rewards Treasure awards * none yet XP awards * none yet Category:L4W Category:L4W_Adventure